Tag Archives: Zoe Nathan

LA has a number of great breakfast spots. My favorite is Sqirl, run by Chef Jennifer Koslow. At Sqirl they serve unique grain bowls that are savory, brightly acidic, herbaceous, and deliciously well-balanced. I really liked their signature dish, the sorrel pesto rice, which comes with tangy goat cheese, pickled radishes and a runny egg. Another delicious grain bowl is their crispy rice with herbs (add an egg and sausage). Here in the Bay Area we have $4 toast, and at Sqirl they make an incredible avocado toast with creme fraiche and pickled carrots, and a brioche toast with homemade jam and ricotta. They also make some specials, salads and sandwiches for lunch, and baked goods (cakes, cookies). As in LA, one must drive there (on Virgil near Silver Lake), and I have always been able to find neighborhood parking. There is seating both inside and out, and usually a line (get there early). Several of Chef Koslow’s recipes have been published in a feature in Bon Appetit, and a cookbook will be published Fall 2016.

Another of my favorites is Huckleberry. I have been baking regularly from Chef Zoe Nathan’s beautiful cookbook before I tried the actual restaurant, which is a bright and cheerful place in Santa Monica. They have a display case with all of their delicious baked goods, and one can also order breakfast dishes, salads, and sandwiches.

Eggslut is located in the bustling downtown LA food hall Grand Central Market. They make egg sandwiches and their signature coddled egg on top of potatoes that is poached in a small glass jar. Delicious.

I am a big fan of Chef Suzanne Goin and her collection of restaurants in LA. The Larder, in Hollywood, serves up delicious breakfast fare and baked goods in a casual atmosphere.

Someday I would love to open a place like Huckleberry, a bakery/breakfast/lunch venue in Santa Monica, CA. I first became aware of Huckleberry when they were featured in Bon Appetit several years ago with a recipe for a delicious cornmeal blueberry cake. Now Chef Zoe Nathan has chronicled many recipes in the Huckleberry cookbook, and I have thoroughly enjoyed baking from the book for the past few months.

The book is divided into several sections including muffins, cakes, scones, breads, fried pastries, sandwiches, and grain bowls. What is immediately noticeable is the use of various different kinds of flours. All-purpose flour is still the mainstay, but other flours are incorporated including whole wheat, rye, bread flour, wheat germ, and nut flours like pistachio and almond. These different flours result in a more complex crumb and flavor and hopefully healthier recipes as well with the use of whole grains.

Healthy does not mean lack of flavor. So far the recipes have been outstanding, with excellent versions of chocolate-chip muffins, chocolate walnut banana bread, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, and whole-wheat raisin scones. The most impressive were the pistachio-lemon cake, the cara cara orange galette, and the pear whole-wheat crumb cake, all of which drew raves.

The one recipe I tried that failed was the cover recipe for blueberry brioche. This recipe called for double the flour that was required, so there was not enough egg to bind the dough. I saved it by adding two additional eggs, but the ratio of other ingredients like butter and sugar was then off. Chronicle Books sent me the following list of corrections:

The corrected version made an excellent brioche punctuated by a ribbon of fresh blueberries that was delicious hot out of the oven. Overall, this is a great book for impressive breakfast pastries and brunch recipes, introduces a unique use of different flours, and contains a bunch of keepers. Huckleberry takes a place among my favorite baking cookbooks including Momofuku Milk Bar, Tartine, Flour, and Bouchon Bakery.